


End Transmission

by Fruitloopsunite



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-09-28 22:29:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20433506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fruitloopsunite/pseuds/Fruitloopsunite
Summary: After 6 long years devising his next plan to conquer the Earth, Zim finally makes a breakthrough. But when contacting his Tallest, there is no signal. After many prototype fails, he goes to the one person he never thought he’d go to again for help.Prompt/Idea that home-of-unoriginal-ideas sent to me on tumblr.





	1. Unforgiving Letters

On a large computer screen, the words “no signal” in bright letters blinked rapidly in front of intense red eyes. It seemed like an eternity, those two words teasing him, whispering words that would discourage any type of creature. But for him, it was a challenge. They didn’t mean anything to him, just an obstacle in his way. Sure, it was frustrating at times and it made him want to scrape his face across the ground, but it didn’t mean he was ready to give up. He had hope that the call would be answered, eventually.

“Computer, End Transmission.”

“Yes sir.”

The screen clicked and soon there was only the sound of static. How long had he been trying at this? He lost count of the days. There would be long periods where he wouldn’t even think of calling, and the there would be times where he’d call almost every hour. For some reason now an odd pit in his stomach had formed, and for once in his life, Zim was unsure of what to do.

“Computer, call The Tallest.”

The echoing deep voice groaned, and with a displeased “yes sir”, the screen lit up again. A sliver of hope emerged, soon being crushed by those two damn words again. They’re haunting gaze staring right though him.

“End Transmission.”

“Yes sir.”

There was only a momentary pause, and once again Zim was ordering the computer to call The Tallest. And once again, the screen blinked those words, taunting him, egging him on to react. He refused for them to get the best of him for now.

“End transmission, I know what I need to do.”

————

For six years, six long years, Zim had been trapped on this planet in the dark, looking at every different angle for a new plan, something completely original and terrifying to prepare for the conquering of Earth. The Florpus incident he was so close he could taste it, the large ship adorning his people’s insignia followed by thousands of elites right at his doorstep, ready for the attack. He was so excited it ached, he was waiting for his leaders, his Almighty Tallest, the ones he looked up to the most; seeing him in all his glory. But that human, that Dib, stopped him and won the race right as he was at the finish line. To make up for the fact that the annihilation of the planet failed-not on his part of course-he had to make up for it by stealing a seemingly prized possession from his arch nemesis. When that transmission came through and he saw his Tallest in an alternate reality in some sort of demise, he thought nothing of it. Surely it was all just an act and they were showing their deepest gratitude. However, that was so long ago, why haven’t they answered any of his calls? It was all very confusing, and he truly needed to get their attention no matter what. He finally made a breakthrough in his master plan, and the the Phase 2 could begin. All he needed was a few minutes of their time.

“GIR, help me move this!”

“YES SIRRRR,” The booming voice came to full volume in the matter of seconds, and with a joyful laugh the small robot dragged large pieces of equipment into their rightful spots, pleased with himself with the small bouts of praise he was given by clapping his hands together. “What ARE you doing?”

“The Tallest have been too quiet for my liking,” Zim tapped his fingers across the various parts that he needed and threw others to the side for the moment. He was covered in a thin film of sweat, his clothes dirtied by oil as well as a nice bruise forming on the side of his head. He had been working endlessly for days now, never taking a break, not to sleep, not to eat, not to do anything but build. “I am simply making a radio powerful enough to get into contact with them and tell them my plans of dominating this disgusting planet full of disgusting humans.”

“Ooooooh, okay then! Can I watch TV?”

“No GIR, I’m busy.”

“Awww...”

With a final crank of a wrench Zim threw his fists in the air in success. It was finally done! He was sure this one would work, it had to, all the others had failed, as the endless piles of trashed machinery littered the living room and into the kitchen. He excitedly ran outside and with the help of the house’s various wires and gadgets, the radio tower was installed. As quickly as he was out he was back inside, and with a confident tone he beckoned for his trusty computer.

“Computer! I have a good feeling about this! Call The Tallest!”

“Right away sir.”

With a tone full of revulsion, the computer booted up the tv, and with bated breath Zim waited.

And waited...

...and waited. Until...

-No Signal-

“End Transmission...and try again!”

Zim’s tone turned dark, and when those letters, those horrible, hateful letters reared their ugly heads on the screen again, he lost it. Things were thrown about the room, he was yelling complete nonsense, more throwing, glass breaking, a voice sounding so mournful from frustration cracking in a sickening way. His knees hit the floor, arms coming to wrap around himself tightly, trying to stop his body from shaking in a way he had never felt before. Out of everything he tried, no matter how perfect it came out, nothing worked. He was at a total loss, and needed the help from someone who could actually be of some use. He knew very well who that was, and he didn’t like that option one bit.

————-

The small pangs that hit at Dib’s window woke him with a startled gasp. He had finally gotten comfortable enough that he was on the edge of sleep, what on Earth could be out there. Putting on his glasses and peeking out the glass, his eyes narrowed when he saw the tiny intruder.

“What do you want Zim?”

He made the mistake of opening the window, a body shooting up through it and face planting harshly onto the floor by the means of mechanical legs. With one look at him, Dib nearly did a double take, this was not a Zim he had seen in a very long time. He looked an complete and utter wreck, the mess from his previous days still evident on his skin and clothes, and he looked...almost sad?

“I need your help.”


	2. A Hesitant Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With much hesitation, one who would in normal circumstances be considered the enemy needs the help from the savior of the world.
> 
> Prompt/Idea from home-of-unoriginal-ideas from tumblr

Defeat, this was the only word that popped into Dib’s head when he saw Zim’s tiny body unmoving on his bedroom floor. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days? Weeks even? And the smell, it was something disgustingly interesting. A mixture of sweat and oil, with something completely unknown to him. It smelt stale, but sweet in a way, like a cake that had been left out of its package for way too long. It made zero sense to him, but this was Zim he was talking about, nothing made sense about him.

“Uh, what?” He couldn’t tell if he was still half asleep and not hearing things correctly. Did Zim really just ask him for help? Dib, of all people? They might have tolerated each other to an extent as the years had gone by, yet there were still the school yard arguments and full blown fist fights that landed them in detention for weeks. It was all to stop Zim from furthering his plans at his conquest of Earth, no matter how mild they may be. “You need to get your face off my floor.”

Agitation radiated off the alien’s body and with a loud grunt he pushed up on his body until he was in a very odd sitting position, clawed fingers biting dully into his own skin. Now that Dib had a better look at him, he could tell just how much of a wreck he was. The bruise on his head seemed to be there for a few days now, angry blues and purples mixing together in an alarming manner. He’d be lucky if he didn’t have a concussion. His clothing was covered in stains of dirt, oil and most likely blood, as well as being ripped in various places. Now that he though of it, Dib had never seen so much skin exposed on Zim, his knees completely bare, most likely from being torn off of sharp edges of machinery. This only meant one thing to the young man: Zim had another plan up his sleeve.

“I. Need. Your. Help,” With each word he grew angrier, now shooting to his feet and crawling onto the bed with terrifying speed. Those red eyes bore into Dib’s skin and made him squirm in discomfort, and with a slight yelp at the harsh poke to his chest, Dib pushed Zim away, watching his body fall backwards to the edge of the bed. He shot up quickly however, those eyes holding their murderous gaze. “I will not take no for an answer.

“Oh yeah? Why should I even help you? You’re just going to run off and wreck the planet again!”

“I need help!”

“And I don’t care, find someone else to do it for you!”

“_...I can’t..._”

The atmosphere of the room took a different turn, a much, much different turn. The yelling Dib planned on doing at this ungodly hour of the night fell short, instead his lips pressed together tightly, suddenly feeling awkward. The tone of Zim’s voice was totally unheard of, his exhaustion evident, and something completely...well, alien to him: despair. The bags under his eyes really showing themselves, even in the dimly lit room, his voice coming out in a whisper instead of that boisterous yell, and body slumped as if he would fall over at any given moment. Something was up, and that something was serious.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Dib pinched his brows and sighed, mentally kicking himself for agreeing to this so fast. “This better be good, and not some act like you did the last time. ‘Cause if it’s an act I will freak out.”

“This is not an act,” Zim had been sitting too long, fatigue starting to take over him. “I have tried for too long at this. I haven’t been able to contact my Tallest.”

“Eh? How long has it been?”

“Six years.”

“**_...Zim,_**” Dib’s brows shot up at that statement. Trying for this long to talk to someone was quite the commitment, he was practically wasting his time, if they weren’t going to answer his calls after, say a few months, it would be best to call it quits and move onto something else. Though now that he thought of it, Zim was as persistent as a three year old trying to get what they want, if he had been calling for this long with no answer, he wouldn’t be giving up anytime soon. “Don’t you think it’s time to stop? They’re not going to answ-“

“ZIM DOESN’T GIVE UP!”

“O-oh, alright.”

“Now,” Narrowing his eyes, he crawled his way until he was about a foot apart from Dib. He put out his hand, fingers twitching in anticipation. “Do you accept helping me?”

Dib started down the offering hand, challenging the expression Zim gave him. He started to lift his arm, ready to grasp the gloved appendage, but stopped short. He was not about to agree to something that he was going to get nothing in return from. Especially from an Invader, it was leaving a sour taste in his mouth. As far as he knew, this was another act, another ploy to get him to feel bad for the small green one, and he wasn’t about to screw himself over again. He had done it one too many times, and payed greatly for each failure. The garage filled with his and Zim’s failed attempts at conquer and rescue proved this immensely. 

“On one condition.”

“And what would that be? I have no time for this foolishness.”

“Shut up,” Dib huffed and put his arm down. He wasn’t in the mood for this, his own fatigue hitting him full force now that he’d been up longer than he wanted to be. “Listen to my condition alright? And don’t yell at me.”

“Fine.”

“I help you with, whatever it is you need help with, and you stop trying to conquer the Earth.”

Now it was Zim’s turn to hesitate. How could he, Irk’s finest, give up his soul purpose of being alive? It was gut wrenching even thinking about it. He could outright refuse vocally, but the Dib would tell him to leave and move on, which he absolutely could not do. His expression hardened only briefly, before becoming unreadable. He would do what he always did, double crossing like it was the easiest thing in the world. Which, of course, it was.

“If you help me no matter what I ask, I will accept your request.”

Hands came together, petite gloved in black and much larger, warmer clasping with an audible slap.

“_**Deal**_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No NSFW content will be in this, but some slightly suggestive content in later chapters


	3. Successful Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A radio powerful enough is finally created, but the message isn’t what he wanted to hear.

They had been going at it for months, building; tearing apart, testing, building again. Each time would be the same result, the words that they would see in their dreams, no, in their nightmares, blinking rapidly. Those letter forever engraved in the back of their minds, laughing at their attempts, laughing at the absolute hope in their eyes that they crushed in a swift movement. The same phrase uttered over and over again, a mantra growing more and more desperate. The sides they saw of each other that no other soul even had a peek at, growing closer and closer with each passing day.

“I can’t work in silence anymore, talk or something.”

“Zim,” Dib breathed out heavy as he grabbed at a screwdriver. He had to admit the silence was starting to grow uncomfortable, but he didn’t feel like talking at the moment. For all he knew if he started a conversation it would end with Zim going off on a tangent and saying how they need to hurry up and build so he could talk to his Tallest. “I’ve got a better idea.”

He pulled out his phone, tapping almost furiously at the screen, eyes in utter concentration, scanning until he found what he wanted. Putting the volume up at the highest it would allow, he pressed play and soon a tune started to play, a type of technological tempo flowing from the speakers, the words beginning softly, but soon becoming louder for them both to hear.

_Wear the fake fur fake pearls for me _

_And put on your mystery _

Dib’s voice was low, practically mumbling along with the words. He wasn’t the best at singing, but maybe, maybe if he sang a bit louder he would sound better. Zim played along with it, tools coming into play as they both started to work on the newest machine. Bolts tightened into place, pieces of scrap metal hammered in, glass that was probably not needed and mostly for decoration melted and bent at will. It was coming together smoothly, and they both now had a good feeling about their accomplishments. The song ended, and a new began, one that they both knew very well. As the lyrics came forth, both began to sing, taking only small breaks to laugh at each other with how horrible their voices truly were.

_What a shame _

_Beautiful scars on critical veins _

_Come together state of the art _

_We’ll never surrender _

_The kids in the dark _

Dib never thought he’d be in the position: completely at ease with his mortal enemy, working together and singing along to the one song Zim liked the most. The alien heard it one time and forced Dib to play it for three hours straight one day, so it was expected that they both knew all the words by heart. But still, singing...with Zim of all people. He had noticed during the time they started on their mission of creating a radio powerful enough to contact the Tallest, Zim was not as cruel to him as he had been. He actually laughed along with him dumb jokes instead of giving him glares and lectures about “real” humor, asked him for opinions on things he was trying to do, and what stuck with Dib the most was the lingering touches. They seemed to be on accident mostly, although those gloved hands would stay longer than they should on his shoulder, or his arm. It was a comforting thing, he didn’t mind it at all. In fact, he welcomed the touches. Dib had felt this feeling only one time before, a silly crush on a classmate in early middle school. Though, this...crush felt right this time around.

_ Looking up I see a falling star _

_And watch it’s fire burn onto the floor _

_And I am left standing on the edge _

_Wondering why we fall so hard _

Zim was really getting into the song, belting out the lyrics, using his hands to mimic the drums playing in the background. He seemed so happy, so at ease around who he should consider his enemy. Did he consider Dib a friend now? Most likely, but there was something more to this friendship that he couldn’t quite place. He felt himself heating up in such a way near the human, and he didn’t want that sensation to end. He wanted to do things with Dib that he had seen other humans do with each other. Go on outings, show forms of affection, just, be with him no matter what.

_ We’ll never surrender _

_The kids in the dark _

_The kids in the dark _

As the song came to an end, Zim demanded with a flip of his wrist to play it again. And so Dib did. This time however, they continued their work, no singing, only tinkering with the final pieces of the radio. When the device was completed, the both yelled out in joy and suddenly arms wrapped around each other in a tight embrace. Cheeks rubbed at each other, both completely unaware of their actions for only a moment. Soon, Zim froze and pulled himself away from Dib, although he kept his arms around the other’s back.

“Uh...”

They blinked at each other, brows raised in complete surprise. It was completely unexpected but definitely welcomed with open arms, literally with open arms. Zim’s gaze was intense, those eyes unblinking, waiting for a response. They released each other and sat awkwardly, wondering who was going to speak; to move, to do something.

Dib couldn’t help himself, those red irises held a gaze of completely and total admiration, he felt himself drawn to them. The closer he came to Zim’s face, the more he noticed about him. The small scar under his left eye, the light purple freckles that danced across his cheeks, the smallest of eyelashes poking their way out, the thin, slightly darker green lips. They were pursed in a confusion he had never seen before, and he hesitated, if only for a moment.

“Please, don’t be mad at me.”

Dib didn’t allow Zim to speak, he pressed their faces close together, lips brushing against each other only slightly, an electric shock of emotions blooming in his stomach. Was he nervous? Of course he was, this was his first kiss after all, it was awkward and new, his face heating up at the strange contact. It lasted very briefly, he pulled away, that pink dusting becoming a full bloom of red as he saw the reaction in front of him.

Purple rose onto cheeks and a gloved hand came up to touch at a bottom lip, mouth agape in surprise. Those eyes blinked slowly; once, twice, three times before registering what had actually happened. Zim’s brows raised, trying to find the voice to speak, but it was not there. He tried again and again, and finally, the words came out in nothing but a whisper.

“What the hell was that?”

“Zim,” Dib’s hands came up in a defensive manner, ready for an attack of some sort. He was already regretting his decision, a nasty pit in his belly that was starting to make him nauseous. “It’s a kiss, it’s...it’s a way humans show affection.”

“Huh...”

They sat in silence for a long time, the air thick with awkwardness. It felt hard to breathe, Dib fidgeting in place, hands tugging at his coat, unsure of what to do now. He was expecting Zim to freak out, to scream at him and kick him out of his home for doing such a vile thing to him. Of all people, Dib had to be interested in a goddamn alien. Not that he was surprised in himself at this point, he never could see himself with anyone that was of his world.

“I,” Zim licked at his lips, the purple tint still there. It was his turn to be nervous, fingers tapping together in a repetitive motion, to calm himself, prepare himself for what he was going to say next. “I, I would like to try that again.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

With a deep intake of air, Dib leaned in, and their lips pressed together once more. A different type of feeling came into play, excitement definitely, but were there others? Yes, complete and total admiration and the uncontrollable infatuation with Zim. This wasn’t the usual type either, the kind that fueled Dib into stopping schemes, stopping an unknown creature from overthrowing and destroying his home. No, this was the type that Dib had never known before, it made it feel overly warm, but in a good way. With those lips moving slowly, it pushed him to a new edge, a better, wonderful edge.

Zim wasn’t sure what was really going on, yet he felt in his spooch that it was right to do. He didn’t want to take the lead, waiting, begging silently for Dib to do something other than keep their lips pressed together. The human’s eyes were screwed shut, his cheeks adorning the crimson haze, his hands shaking at his side. He kept his hands to himself, his entire body relaxing, not realizing that he had been standing stiff the entire time. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Dib moved his lips.

Hands came up to cup at greens skin, unmoving when the other flinched, waiting for the right moment. Zim relaxed, realizing that this wasn’t going to end in pain, and started to purr low in his throat when thumbs came to caress at his cheeks. He felt himself moving without his permission, knowing exactly what it wanted to do. He crawled onto Dib’s lap, one hand gripping at the collar of the coat, the other twisting into raven hair, pulling him as close as he would allow. Their mouths moved in such a way that made them shiver.

Zim was the first to experiment, tongue coming out to trace at Dib’s bottom lip. With a gasp, that slick, worm-like tongue entered his mouth, twisting slowly with his own. Zim tasted sweet, Dib concluded, almost likely due to all the candy and sugary snacks he ate. It was an interesting sensation, it wasn’t bad, it sure was odd, but not a bad odd. He pulled the alien closer to him, hand moving from cheek to lower back, rubbing the area in soothing circles.

“Haa,” Zim released their mouths so that Dib could breathe, his voice coming out in a coo that send shivers down both their spines. He never knew he could make such a noise. “We, we should see if the radio works.”

“...right”

Bringing out the radio to the front yard, the same process began. Wires came out to plug it onto the top of the house, the machine whirling and beeping in ways the others hadn’t. The duo looked towards each other, large grins on the faces, practically running into the house. The tv turned on, the pair staring at the static of the screen, a timid hand coming out to grab at a black glove.

“Computer, call the Tallest!”

“Yes sir.”

The same boring tone, the same beeping of a call, but a different set of words this time around.

** _Transmitting_ **

The new letters, brightly lit green, sent a jolt of electricity down Zim’s spine. His hand clasped with Dib’s squeezed tightly, eyes wide, smile as large as it could go. It...it finally worked! He couldn’t believe it, after all this time, after so many attempts by himself, finally, with someone who he didn’t know what to call anymore (friend? Crush? Partner? He wasn’t sure), they were able to achieve the one thing he had been trying at for so many years. He let go of the hand and in a happy numbness moved to stand closer to the screen.

Standing in front of that large TV, Zim was practically vibrating in excitement, hands flapping rapidly, his body unable to contain how giddy he was at this moment in time. The screen started fuzzy, and he was now bouncing when he saw a pair of purple eyes coming into focus in a torturously slow rate. He sucked in a long breath and held it, a large smile spreading across his face. This was it, this was finally it. He would finally be able to speak to his Tallest, not even caring in the slightest that Dib was with him.

** _ “H-hhhh-hey! Hey hey hey!” _ **

The voice came in crackling and popping as static, Zim’s excitement growing even more so when it sounded just like Tallest Purple. Dib watched in awe at the site in front of him. He had never seen Zim like this before, not even for his small victories. He gave a small smile and took in the moment, a sensation of ease washing over him. For the time they had worked together, he only witnessed the growing impatience and anger boiling over in the alien, so this, this was such a nice change that he didn’t want to end.

Except...

** _ “Hey! It’s working! It’s really working!”_ **

The shaking, the flapping, the happy atmosphere of Zim vanished instantly. When the screen became completely clear and the voice echoed loudly, it was not the Tallest, but a completely different Irken, slightly tall with large purple irises, her smile beaming from the other end of the call. She was obviously inside the Massive, or what was left of it. Lights flickered here and there, wires and panels of machinery littered all over the place, and it had definitely gone through a fire, or multiple fires. The excitement that was there was completely gone, and that unfamiliar feeling Zim had felt at one point returned full force. He was trembling slightly, and he couldn’t place why, at least not yet.

**_ “Wow, I’m sure glad to see another face from this thing,”_** The Irken on the other line was speaking rapidly, an unknown and thick accent coming from those lips. A hand came up and jiggled, her smile only growing. **_“We’ve been trying to get this online for way too long, a couple of years probably or something.”_**

There were murmurs of agreement from others, mostly other Irkens but a few different species as well. They all appeared especially dirty, most likely from digging through piles of wreckage. They were mostly idly chatting with each other now, the assumed leader tapping at some things, clicking her tongue when it didn’t cooperate properly. Her eyes were intense, obviously not sure of what she was doing at this point, going more so trial and error. With a few more taps and a bit of smacking, she clicked again with a grin.

** _“Earth, huh? Never heard of it, must be a newer planet, sure looks pretty from what I can make out on the scree-“ _ **

“STOP SPEAKING AT ONCE!”

** _ “Eh?”_ **

Both Dib and the Irken were staring at Zim, a mix of shock and annoyance as he yelled for all to hear. He was so sick of this nonsense going on already, he wanted his answers and wanted them now. He placed his hands on his hips, and before he could even let out a single breath those purple eyes enlarged and the annoyance she had melted away.

** _“Zim?”_ **

“Yes? And you are?”

**_ “Spree! From the academy, though I doubt you remember since I didn’t stay very long,” _**Spree shook her head and laughed.**_ “Boy, you’re a sight for sore eyes, it’s been so long. And you’re still as short as ever.” _**

“I have no time for idle chat! I have been trying for so long to speak to the Tallest,” He stomped his foot and grit his teeth, he was sick of seeing this girl, he wanted his Tallest, and only his Tallest. That pit in his stomach grew, and he felt the bile rising in his throat. He was working himself up so much it was making him sick. “Where. Are. They?”

Spree went silent, her green skin paling at Zim’s words. She looked back at those around her and gnawed at her lip nervously, hands wringing together, curled antennae flattening to the side of her head. One came up to her and motioned with their hand for her to speak, but before they left they bumped heads with her gently in an affectionate manner.

**_“Zim, they’re, they’re not here,”_** She started with a sigh.**_ “The Armada went into a Florpus Hole and were destroyed, the Tallest included. We’re...we’re an endangered species now, as most of our people were with them. The smeeteries are being stocked now with new embryos, so it’s only a matter of waiting for them to hatch.” _**

** _“We found the Massive floating around about four years ago, and have just gotten around to start repairs to it. On Irk, it was getting suspicious when they hadn’t given any updates on their conquest, and with a little digging a group was sent out to find them. That was about...six years ago if I’m not mistaken.” _ **

Spree was talking very slowly at the point, her gaze cast down to the ground, and let out a heavy breath once more. Zim stopped talking all together, and that tall creature next to him had made a point to sit on the couch behind him, his position anything but comfortable. The air grew thick around all of them, and finally, after many moments of awkward silence, Zim spoke.

“So they’re not coming.”

** _“I’m afraid not Zim, I’m sorry.”_ **

With a scream of absolute despair, laser beams shot out from a PAK’s mechanism, and the TV in front of Zim and Dib was destroyed in an instant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With a bit of writers block and life getting in the way, the third and probably most important chapter is up. 
> 
> Songs I’m referencing are “Electric Barbarella” by Duran Duran and “Kids in the Dark” by All Time Low
> 
> There is a cover title to this by the lovely home-of-unoriginal-ideas/one-of-many-unoriginal-people on tumblr, and that can be found on the first chapter!


	4. Endgame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My purpose on this planet is to collect data, find the weaknesses of the inhabitants, and enslave to broaden the horizon of the Irken Empire,” Expression turned dark, fingers tapping together once more in that calming motion. “My purpose is no longer, as the Tallest are dead. So, I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Rubble littered the floor and the smell of melting wires assaulted Dib’s nose with such intensity that he had to cover his face to stop himself from gagging. The tv was no longer in sight when the smoke cleared, and now the neighbor’s living room was visible. Thankfully, no one was occupying the space directly across from them, though at this point it wouldn’t really matter. They unfortunately were not the brightest of people and would brush it off as a sort of dream or a cola-induced state of intoxication. Yeah...that made sense, Dib thought to himself. Cola-Induced intoxication. 

“Computer! I need, I need to get to the lab,” Dib snapped out of his argument of how cola could make a person drunk when he heard the absolute panic in Zim’s voice. He was starting his vibrations again, hand jiggling at his side in such a way that made him want to grab at it to hold still. Zim was starting to make him feel anxious. “I need to call the Massive again. This, this must be a mistake!”

A quick trip to the lab had Zim practically sprinting towards the communication ward, Dib hot on his heels. By the time they reached the room the human was out of breath, huffing and hands resting on knees, posture bent. Zim had been typing furiously at his keyboard, nearly smashing a button off the surface of the control panel. The word they both cheered for returned, this time with a malice that sent a shiver down Dib’s spine. He already had a feeling of the outcome, but for the time being it was not his place to interfere with Zim when he was this determined. It would only end in pain.

The screen displayed the wreckage of the Massive once more, although this time a different Irken answered the call. A small, timid being, most likely still an adolescent. Their blue eyes furrowed in worry at the sight of raspberry eyes glaring raw hatred at them, and they yelped before running off. Moments later Spree came into view, sitting a bit far off at a table with another Irken decorated with various injuries.

** “You’re alright Maze, go and help the others okay? I’ve got it from here.”** Her tone was sweet towards the small child, and Dib knew for a fact she would have patted at their head if she wasn’t checking over the injuries on the other alien. Something in the medical field was decided as her role he idly thought, a very maternal one at that.

**_“You hung up on me _buba_, I don’t appreciate that. What do you want?”_** There was no flinching at her cold tone, but a slight cock of a brow at the pet name. She had mentioned that her and Zim were in the academy together for a short time, though it didn’t seem like they knew each other that well for those names to be spoken.

“I want to speak to the Tallest this instant.”

A heavy sigh and her head turned up towards the ceiling, purple iris begging to be out of this call as soon as possible. Now that looked familiar, the Tallest had made that same looks towards Zim on more than one occasion.

** _ “You deaf or something? I told you, they’re dead.” _ **

Zim’s blood ran cold at the blunt comment. She was more interested in her task at hand for obvious reasons. Her white sanitary gloves were messy with blood, as well as some of her shirt. The other Irken most likely had some debris fall on them to have these injuries. **_“I’m really not in the mood anymore Zim, I found their bodies, they burned. You want to know how burnt Irken flesh smells? ‘Cause it’s not pleasant.”_**

Zim went to open his mouth but she continued.**_ “From my reports it was quick, if that makes you feel better.” _**

Now, the blood boiled. His hands slammed down onto the control panel, voice coming out in a hoarse scream. He didn’t want to hear anymore of this, the images of his beloved leaders flashing in his mind, his spooch gurgling in revulsion. How could someone say something so, so horrible in front of him? In front of everyone in the room with her? He saw the looks some gave her, it was uncalled for, for sure.

“How dare you joke about something so cruel!” Zim stomped his foot on the ground, his voice rising in volume until it bounced off the walls. He was beyond angry, and was ready to shoot at the large screen in front of him, if it wasn’t for Dib tugging at his shoulder pad he would have done it for sure. “Tell me you’re joking and that they’re hiding and I will spare your life.”

**_“I’m a medic, I physically cannot lie Zim,”_** She rolled her eyes and shook her head in annoyance. The Irken next to her whimpered softly as she dabbed disinfectant on the smaller scratches on their arm. The large one on their shoulder was definitely going to need stitches, she concluded and soon started to wash it out. With a click and a low rumbling in the back of her throat, she took out some sutures and began to stitch up the wound. **_“If I was joking it would be something that was actually funny, you know?”_**

Dib was watching in silence the whole ordeal. He was fascinated by her expert work, he knew Irkens were programmed with what they were supposed to do for their entire lives, so he definitely knew that this was her’s. How she was supposed to be a solider was baffling.

**_ “You know, you should consider coming home,”_** Spree was more paying attention to the stitches she was weaving in and out of the skin of the other Irken, cooing softly to them with such a voice that even put Zim at ease, if only for a fraction of a second. He felt cold at her request, his knees wanting to give out from beneath him.**_ “We could really use someone who actually knows tech to help us get things back on board.” _**

There was definitely more to be said, more to be explained, but Zim was having none of it. Go home now? From his last stunt on his home planet he knew for a fact he was no longer allowed, though maybe, just maybe since the Tallest were not around anymore he could in fact come home. Antennae twitching and Pak lights flickering with deep thought, he tossed aside the thoughts of being with the small percentage of Irkens, his own kind. It was tempting for a fleeting second, the idea of being around the same beings instead of these disgusting and useless humans.

No...no he couldn’t. Dwelling on this made Zim sick to his stomach. It wouldn’t be right in the slightest. He realized now that even though Irk was his home, Earth had become home as well. And he had Dib, in a turn of events that were now affectionate with one another, he determined that quickly with the “kiss” as the human called it.

“No, I refuse to return,” Zim shook his hand rapidly, his tone one that not even Dib could place. Spree raised a brow and was about to say something along the lines of “_don’t hang up the call_”, but Zim beat her to it. With a slam of the call button on his keyboard; the screen shut off.

Zim stood rigid, antennae flattened against his head. He lifted his hand and tapped his fingers together. One, two, two, one, two, two. Dib repeated the numbers in his head as the alien continued with his motions, the fingers only tapping faster and faster until it was possible they weren’t tapping anymore and more so the entire hand trembling. He was being too quiet; very un-Zim like. It was making Dib nervous, and with a cautious hand he gently placed it on Zim’s shoulder.

“Uh...Zim?”

The loudest shout ever imaginable that pierced through ears echoed in the room, followed by a bone chilling wail. Zim’s knees finally gave out and he hit the floor with so much force Dib thought for sure he had broken something. He let out a loud cry, his entire body trembling. He felt the sickening churn of his spooch, and clutching at his mouth he forced himself to swallow back the substance from making its way up his throat and onto the floor. He coughed instead, following heart breaking whimpers. The usually pink spores of his Pak blinked rapidly before turning a warning shade of red.

Eminent Distress Detected

The words were only heard from his head, booming from inside his body. If he kept this up his body would shut down, and the Pak would reset him until the emotions this strong dissipated. Zim started to curl in on himself, the tears he tried to ignore flowing down his cheeks continuously.

“Zim?!”

A panicking question, the sound of boots squeaking on a metal floor, the sudden feeling of arms wrapping around his body in a bone crushing embrace. He felt numb, he felt like he didn’t have a purpose anymore. All those phone calls, all those years of serving them with blind devotion, it was for nothing now. What was the point in being on Earth, of being on Irk? Of being anywhere at the point. Zim might at well unplug his Pak and call it quits and wait for the dark swelling of death to come for him.

And yet...he couldn’t bring himself to do that.

Zim was stiff as a board in Dib’s arms, he could barely speak, could barely do anything other than hyperventilate. Those uncharacteristic tears still came rushing down, the entire front of his turtle neck soaked by the liquid. He hated that he couldn’t stop himself from this, his body betraying him in a way he didn’t even know was possible for him. The pit he had felt earlier only got heavier, weighing him down until he finally slumped in Dib’s embrace. With a shaky breath and even shakier arms, he completed the embrace and dug his claws into the black abyss of that trench coat. Finally, after what seemed like hours but was only about ten minutes, he spoke.

“They’re...they’re really not coming then.”

“I’m afraid not.”

Dib brought a hand up onto Zim’s head, giving comforting strokes to the skin. That hand traveled down farther after a moment to the small Irken’s lower back, a sigh of relief escaping him as Zim visibly relaxed in his arms. This was all so surreal, never in his life would he think that he, Dib Membrane, soon to be college freshman was sitting in his so-called worst enemy’s lab, consoling him. He never could do crying that well, but for some reason that was pushed out of the way and this new urge came to be. Was it because of how close they became? Was is because of the kiss? It must have been, if this was any other day before the months of building he would have turned the other corner, uncomfortable and ashamed of his actions. Now, he greeted it with open arms.

“Hey,”

The hand from Zim’s back retraced and Dib sword he heard a whine of protest. The hand instead cupped under his chin and pulled him in for a kiss. It was light, lips only brushing against each other, and to Zim’s horror his eyes were leaking once more. The tears did not taste salty, Dib concluded with a hum. It was more sweet, as odd as that sounded. It wasn’t his fault that they ended up dribbling between their lips and getting in his mouth as he moved lazily against Zim. His hands came to rub at pink clad arms, the motions relaxing the smaller further. As he pulled away with one last peck, his expression was that of worry, his question burning on his tongue. He wasn’t going to avoid this, as it was something that just couldn’t be brushed by so casually.

“What are you going to do?”

Zim held his breath, the pink lights from his Pak blinking softly now, no longer in the danger of a forced reset. He didn’t look into the young man’s eyes, instead cast down to the floor. He couldn’t look at him as he spoke, or else he would start crying again.

“My purpose on this planet is to collect data, find the weaknesses of the inhabitants, and enslave to broaden the horizon of the Irken Empire,” Expression turned dark, fingers tapping together once more in that calming motion. “My purpose is no longer, as the Tallest are dead. So, I don’t know what to do anymore.”

In an almost timid motion, seeming to be afraid of the outcome, Dib’s hand slid into Zim’s, ceasing it’s tapping. He nearly pulled away at the tensing of the other’s body, but figured if he did that might cause more harm than good. Zim was definitely a little worse for wear, his eyes puffy and lips sucked in, still quivering. He was trying not to break down again, fighting with his body over its functions. He hadn’t cried this much...well, ever in his life. He didn’t realize how much it took out of someone, his body was still betraying him, a few tears leaking out, a shake that went up his spine, and the fatigue. Oh that was something entirely new. Before he could ponder on that however, his antennae perked at Dib’s voice.

“We can find that out...just the two of us.”

Finally, the silence ended, and with a quick wipe of his eyes with one hand and the other squeezing at pale flesh, Zim flashed Dib a smile. It was small, but it was there. That smile told them both that although it would take some time for him to fully recover from the deaths of the beings that held his upmost admiration, recovery was possible.

And they would both go through it together, not matter how long it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the final chapter, I did really enjoy writing this...even if it took a bit longer than I had anticipated haha. That kind of happens when work life changes and a new puppy is introduced into the family haha. Well, I guess that’s all folks, and thank you for tuning in!

**Author's Note:**

> No NSFW content will be in this, but some slightly suggestive content in later chapters.


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